Frederick Fung

Former Civic Party member Paul Zimmerman said yesterday he would back incumbent lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee to help the pan-democrats win three of the five so-called super seats in next month's Legco election.

With three of its incumbent lawmakers leaving to fight the citywide 'super seats', the Kowloon West constituency will see veterans who missed out in the 2008 Legislative Council poll take on up-and-coming politicians looking to capitalise on the departure of their big names.

Three more incumbent legislators announced bids for the 'super seats' in the upcoming Legislative Council elections, consolidating a much-anticipated stand-off between the pro-establishment and pan-democracy camps for the five newly-established seats.

With elections for new 'super lawmaker' elections looming in September, pan-democrats are jockeying for position in what could either be an opportunity for co-operation or rivalry in getting nominations.

Lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee called yesterday for co-operation, but rivalry may be more likely.

Lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee expressed anger yesterday at his pan-democratic counterparts - the radical group People Power - for fielding a dozen candidates against his party in the upcoming district council elections.

The Legislative Council election is just over a week away, and my 10 years' service as a lawmaker is almost over. It was a historic time, covering crises like the economic downturn and severe acute respiratory syndrome. People's expectations of government became much higher, and there were definitely times when senior officials and legislators did not meet those expectations.

The Civic Party could soon emerge as the leader of the pan-democratic camp, the Democratic Party's Martin Lee Chu-ming said yesterday.

'It would not be surprising and the Democratic Party absolutely accepts this,' he said on an RTHK programme. 'We and the Civic Party are brothers and sisters. The rise of the Civic Party is good for democratic development.'